Let’s be honest, DeMarcus Cousins doesn’t have the best mainstream reputation amongst his peers, the officials and fans outside of Sacramento. Unfortunately, he’s earned the titles of “irrational” and “volatile” as he once again leads the league in technical fouls, now just one away from receiving his second suspension of the 2016-2017 campaign for going over the NBA’s season limit of 16.
However, Cousins’ reputations does not define him as a player (or as a human for that matter). Whether it’s the millions of dollars he’s donated to charities without parading the act as a publicity stunt, or his relentless involvement within the Sacramento community throughout his tenure with the franchise, Cousins is more than the hothead he may appear on the court.
Boogie hooping at Robertson Community Center with the kids! pic.twitter.com/Al75UFsKoB
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 23, 2016
Fast-forward to Monday night, after Cousins was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Before joining his new team, the Kings’ All-Star gave a heartfelt goodbye to members of the only NBA organization he’s ever known. Warning: Grab some tissues before hitting play.
My friend got transferred to another city because of his job. He had some things to say. Rough to watch. pic.twitter.com/iBRyMf1UP7
— Carmichael Dave (@CarmichaelDave) February 21, 2017
It’s pretty much the polar opposite to how the Kings officially said goodbye to Cousins — a press release that questioned the star power forward’s character.
“It was time for a change and I decided this was the best direction for the organization, general manager Vlade Divac said. “Winning begins with culture and character matters. With the upcoming draft class set to be one of the strongest in a decade, this trade will allow us to build the depth needed for a talented and developing roster moving forward. We thank DeMarcus for his contributions and wish him all the best in New Orleans. The fans in Sacramento are the best in the world and we are all committed to building a team that will continue to make Sacramento proud.”
A difficult end to a difficult campaign with the Kings; however, Sacramento fans have to take some consolation in the fact that this man did everything for the franchise and left it all on the floor every single game.
This article originally appeared on Fox Sports.
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